This present invention relates to a rod-end bearing device having a dust cover.
A rod-end bearing device having a dust cover disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 39452/1988 has a ball seat between an interior wall of an inner chamber of a housing and an outer surface of a ball head of a ball stud. An annular concavity around the outer surface of an open end of the ball seat receives a raised ring around an inner surface at the end of a dust cover.
When the open end of the housing is deformed, the entire perimeter of the open end of the ball seat and the outer surface of the raised ring of the dust cover are pressed together and thus secured. Such a configuration is effective in maintaining superior sealing capability, improving the operating ability of the ball seat and dust cover, keeping the dust cover in a secured condition and reducing the size of the device.
However, when the ball stud swings to its maximum extent, the stud portion of the ball stud abuts an edge of the open end of the ball seat. Extra force applied to the ball stud in the direction in which the ball stud is currently swinging may deform the ball seat sufficiently to allow the dust cover to slip off the ball seat or be damaged.
Additionally, deformation of the open end of the ball seat reduces resistance of the ball stud to slipping out of the ball seat. In order to overcome such problems, the thickness of the housing has to be increased, thereby increasing the size and cost of the entire device.